Promises
by HermioneGrangerTwin
Summary: Promises are made and broken. But the break isn't always permanent. Missing moments from DH. R/Hr
1. Promises are Wished For

Promises are Wished For

A/N: This is the first installment of the "Promises" series, a journey through Deathly Hallows with Ron and Hermione. This story is set in Chapter Five, centering on Ron and Hermione's reunion at the Burrow. The section starts on page 72 in the US version and page 70 in the UK version.

As Hermione sighted the Burrow, she smiled in spite of herself, looking forward to seeing Ron and Harry, and knowing that they were safe. Not that she didn't want everyone to be safe, but Harry and Ron were at the top of her list.

She landed unceremoniously in the yard of the Burrow, and quickly got up and brushed herself off. Portkeys, though much better than flying, was definitely not her favorite way to travel. Almost immediately, she saw Harry rushing toward her, and she hugged him, glad to see him. Hermione looked around for Ron, wanting desperately to have him in her arms, even more than Harry. Kingsley was questioning Lupin, and then turned to Harry. Lupin said, "It's him, I've checked!"

"All right, all right!" said Kingsley, stowing his wand back into his back beneath his cloak. "But somebody betrayed us! They knew, they knew it was tonight!"

Hermione thought back to the battle in the sky, and tried hard not to shudder externally. She had had been a part of the combat, but she had not seen anyone die on their side. She prayed that everyone was alive.

"So it seems," replied Lupin, "but apparently they did not realize that there would be seven Harrys."

"Small comfort!" snarled Kingsley. "Who else is back?"

"Only Harry, Hagrid, George, and me."

Hermione stifled a little moan behind her hand. She remembered that Ron should have been back first. She wanted to scream and shout, but fought it back, telling herself that he was fine; he just got held up somewhere. But in the back of her mind, a little voice told her that he had died, he had been captured, he fell off his broom. The evil thoughts reigned victorious.

"What happened to you?" Lupin asked Kingsley.

"Followed by five, injured two, might've killed one," Kingsley reeled off, "and we saw You-Know-Who as well, he joined the chase halfway through but vanished pretty quickly. Remus, he can –"

"Fly," supplied Harry. "I saw him too, he came after Hagrid and me."

"So that's why he left, to follow you!" said Kingsley, "I couldn't understand why he'd vanished. But what made him change targets?"

"Harry behaved a little too kindly to Stan Shunpike," said Lupin.

"Stan?" repeated Hermione, groping through her mind. "But I thought he was in Azkaban?"

Kingsley let out a mirthless laugh.

"Hermione, there's obviously been a mass breakout which the Ministry has hushed up. Travers's hood fell off when I cursed him, he's supposed to be inside too. But what happened to you, Remus? Where's George?"

"He lost an ear," said Lupin.

"Lost an –?" repeated Hermione in a high voice. An ear? How? She was horrified and fought to keep her mouth closed.

"Snape's work," said Lupin.

"Snape?" shouted Harry. "You didn't say –" Hermione desperately wished that he wouldn't lose his temper. Not now.

"He lost his hood during the chase. Sectumsempra was always a specialty of Snape's. I wish I could say I'd paid him back in kind, but it was all I could do to keep George on the broom after he was injured, he was losing so much blood."

Silence fell between the four of them as they looked up at the sky. There was no sign of movement; the stars stared back, unblinking, indifferent, unobscured by flying friends. Where were Fred and Mr. Weasley? Where were Bill, Fleur, Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Mundungus? And at the forefront of her mind, where was Ron? She would've given anything at that moment to see him, his lopsided grin, bright red hair, and the bright blue eyes that seemed to look into her mind. She wished to have his arms around her again.

He had comforted her at all her moments of sadness, especially when she had to erase her parents' memories and had cried through the night at the Burrow. He spent the night with her on his living room couch, with his arms wrapped around her. She had never felt more safe in her life.

"Harry, give us a hand!" called Hagrid hoarsely from the door, in which he was stuck again. Harry left eagerly to help him out and go inside. Hermione looked up at the sky, willing Ron to appear.

Kingsley began striding backward and forward, glancing up at the sky every time he turned. Hagrid, Hermione, and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing upward in silence. Hermione only vaguely felt Harry's return to her side. She was so concentrated on her wish to see Ron again that she almost wept in anguish.

The minutes were endless, discouraging thoughts rushing inexorably. The slightest breath of wind made them all jump and turn toward the whispering bush or tree in the hope that one of the missing Order members might leap unscathed from its leaves.

Hermione saw a flash of bubblegum pink, and of fiery red. And then a broom materialized directly above them and streaked toward the ground -

"It's them!" screamed Hermione. She had to fight herself not to jump up and down with anticipation, the tears far from her mind.

Tonks landed in a long skid that sent earth and pebbles everywhere, but Hermione was oblivious to the assault of the little stones. Ron tripped dazedly toward Harry and Hermione. She was looking into Ron's eyes, and he into hers, and they shared a moment in silence. It was all she could do not to jump on him.

"You're okay," he mumbled, before Hermione flew at him and hugged him tightly. Well…mission definitely _not_ accomplished.

"I thought - I thought -" She remembered the evil thoughts and shuddered. He wrapped his arms around her tightly at this. This moment meant everything to her. Time stopped, just for them, and for a short time, she felt the whole world melt away. He was back, he was back. All too soon, however, the instant was over and everything came back into focus.

" 'M all right," said Ron, patting her on the back. " 'M fine."

"Ron was great," said Tonks warmly, relinquishing her hold on Lupin. "Wonderful. Stunned one of the Death Eaters, straight to the head, and when you're aiming at a moving target from a flying broom -"

"You did?" said Hermione, gazing up at Ron with her arms still around his neck. She wasn't exactly surprised; he had learned so much in the last few weeks - well, years, despite himself.

"Always the tone of surprise," he said a little grumpily, breaking free. She made to protest both about the surprise and the letting go, but stopped herself. "Are we the last back?"

"No," said Ginny, "we're still waiting for Bill and Fleur and Mad-Eye and Mundungus. I'm going to tell Mum and Dad you're okay, Ron -"And she rushed back inside. Hermione looked briefly at Harry to determine whether something was going on with them, but nothing was apparent.

"So what kept you? What happened?" At this point everyone began to regale their own experience, but Hermione wanted none of this, she wished only for Ron to wrap his arms around her again. She could only hope that they would be able to have another of their moments just for them, where time stops, love reigns, and hearts are whole.


	2. Promises are Made

Promises are Made

As Hermione sat on the couch in Grimmauld Place and watched Ron pace the room, worrying about his family, her heart began to tear in the corner. The disfiguration was so minute and her fear for the Weasleys' so great that she almost didn't feel the pain. But the potential loss of her adoptive family (for they were her family) and the loss of that beautiful moment an hour ago had enough sorrow to be unmistakable.

The quick turn of events has caused her head to reel. It was hard to believe that just an hour ago, she has been in Ron's arms, slowly swaying to a love song and thinking only about his softly whispering lips kissing hers. Lips that had whispered, "Be safe" when they left Privet Drive and "I don't trust him with you" when Viktor asked to cut in. (She politely declined.) When they took a break from dancing, she thought that maybe, just maybe, that kiss wouldn't be so far off.

Then came the fateful Patronus. "_The Ministry has fallen, Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming._" The rush for safety and the frenzied grabbing of hands, the screaming and bellowing, looking for Ron's face among the dozens coming towards her. The despair that had filled her when she thought about not finding his face almost overwhelmed he and tears welled up in her eyes. Then she felt Ron's strong and soft hand grasping hers and saw his beautiful blue eyes and the tears ran over in relief. She immediately spun on the spot, not wanting to lose him again.

Now, she looked at him and found him looking back, and for a moment, she felt the world melt away like when she had her arms around him again at the Burrow and while they danced and nothing else mattered.

Then a bright light broke her out of her reverie. She shrieked in surprise and Ron leapt towards her, blocking her from the mysterious light. They then saw the true shape of the silver: a weasel Patronus. It looked strained, like it had been having a rough time. _Family safe, do not reply, we are being watched._ The Patronus dissolved and Ron made a noise between a whimper and a groan and dropped onto the couch beside her. She gripped his arm and whispered, "They're all right, they're all right!"

He wrapped his arms around her and she relished the brief moment, glad to feel the relief in his embrace and the astonishment in his laugh as it rumbled through his body. She held him close for a moment, and when he pulled away, she missed the warmth he radiated.

Hermione said quietly, and if she was being truthful with herself, mostly to Ron, "I don't want to be on my own. Could we use the sleeping bags I've brought and camp in here tonight?"

Ron smiled softly at her, "I was hoping someone would say that."

Harry muttered, "Bathroom." Hermione barely missed him.

She and Ron looked at each other for a moment in silence. Then, Ron cleared his throat and said, "So, I guess we should get ready for bed." Hermione nodded and moved over to her beaded bag, trying awkwardly to pull one of the sleeping bags out. Ron came around to her side and tried to help her, but it didn't do any more than Hermione pulling on her own. Timidly, Ron moved behind her, putting his arms around her and pulled from behind her. Hermione blushed at his hands around her and her stomach was immediately burning hot. He wasn't touching her, but the effect he still had on her surprised her for a moment.

After a few moments, the sleeping bag came loose, but because of the force that they had been pulling, they fell back with him behind her. She landed on top of him, letting go of the sleeping bag and sending it flying through the air.

"Oh bugger!" Hermione exclaimed, scrambling to get off of Ron. "I'm so sorry!" He stood up and brushed himself off, laughing quietly and getting the sleeping bag for her. "Thanks."

He nodded and pulled the other two out of the bag as if they had been coated in butter. _Bloody sporadic bag._ Hermione set up their make shift beds and turned to see what Ron was doing, to find him pulling the cushions off the couch.

"What _are_ you doing?"

Ron looked at her in surprise. "I thought you should sleep on these cushions." She gave him a questioning look. "Well, I mean, a – a lady shouldn't have to sleep on the floor."

It was all she could do to stop her jaw from dropping. Or more pleasantly, kissing him fiercely with no reserve. She looked at the floor and back up at him, biting her lip. "Oh. Well…okay." She searched through her mind for something intelligent to say. Suddenly, luckily, a thought came. "I should probably get Harry his toothbrush," she said, pulling it out of the bag and showing it to Ron. She headed towards the bathroom, smiling at him.

When she reached the bathroom, she knocked on the door and said, "Harry, do you want your toothbrush? I've got it here."

"Yeah, great, thanks," he said, opening the door a few moments later and taking it. She went back to the living room, finding that Ron had already set up her sleeping bag with the cushions.

"Ron, are you sure that you don't want the cushions?"

Ron simply looked at her.

"Alright." Harry then reappeared and Ron and Hermione took turns in the bathroom.

When they finally lay down to sleep, she was exhausted, but couldn't sleep. The events of the night flowed through her mind and circled again and again. A trauma hurricane whipped through her head, never ceasing, sucking up all that mattered, and leaving only destruction in its path.

She needed to talk to him; there was no way around it. "Ron?" she whispered into the silence.

"Yeah?" he whispered back, much to Hermione's relief.

"Are you awake?"

"Can't sleep. You?"

"Same. Can we talk?"

"Yeah." He moved his sleeping bag next to hers. "What're you thinking about?"

Hermione thought for a moment and responded, "Well, I had been thinking about tonight, but I had just thought about Harry. I feel bad about my parents, and I hate to lose them, but Harry was lost…well, everything. He's lost his parents, his godfather, his mentor, even his owl. If he lost one of us…I don't know if he could cope." She paused. "I mean, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Tears began to well up. "Or Harry," she added.

Ron's disappearance at the wedding again came to mind, and she cried quietly, trying not to cause a scene. She hated being the weak one, the crier. Ron heard her anyway, and crawled out of his sleeping bag and sat beside her bed, putting his arms around her. "Hey, hey, hey. We're not going to leave you. Well…I'm not. Never, not willingly anyway. I couldn't leave you."

Hermione gripped him tightly and sniffed. "You promise?"

"I swear."

She loosened her hold, but didn't let go. "Sorry."

Ron pulled back, but Hermione kept her arms around his neck. "For what? You've got nothing to be sorry for."

"I keep you up half the night, comforting me. I'm a bother."

"Hermione, if holding you and comforting you bothered me, you'd know. I don't mind. In fact, I'm honored you'd choose me."

Hermione smiled and pulled away. "Thanks."

"My pleasure." He got back into his sleeping bag and took her hand.

And with that comfort and his promise to be with her, her mind was filled with thoughts of the Burrow at summer and kisses. Sleep came quietly and stayed through the night, as did Ron and his hand. And her heart was mended by Ron's tender stitch.


	3. Promises are Strengthened

Promises Are Strengthened

A/N: Third in the "Promises" series. Italics, as always, are Hermione's thoughts.

As she landed, Hermione blinked, her eyes adjusting to the forest light. Looking around, her attention was drawn to a red mass. Blood was streaming down Ron's side. _Splinched._ Immediately, she hurried to his side, seeing his gray face and regretting not thinking about the Secret. _How could I be so stupid?_

Hermione jumped into action, searching for the source of the blood. Then she heard Harry. "What's happened to him?"

"Splinched," she said, flinching slightly as she said it. She began to tear open the sleeve of Ron's shirt for modesty's sake, but she thought better of it. _Sod modesty._ Ripping open his shirt and tearing it off, she laid bare his upper body, deciding the shirt could be used as a sling later. She remembered having wanted to see his gently muscled chest, but not in this way. Not under these circumstances. He was bleeding, and nothing else mattered but to stop it.

There was a sickening lurch in her stomach as she saw the sizable piece of Ron missing. "Harry," she said, trying to stop the flow. "Quickly, in my bag, there's a small bottle labeled 'Essence of Dittany' - "

"Bag - right - " he said, hurrying off to her bag.

Almost inaudibly, she whispered to Ron, "It'll be alright. We'll fix it." Ron groaned and his eyes rolled up in his head. _Where is the bloody Dittany?!_

"_Quickly!_" After a few more interminable moments, Harry appeared at her side and handed her the blessed bottle. "He's fainted," she said, turning pale. She willed her love to keep quiet long enough to heal Ron's wound. When she reached for the bottle, she found her hands to be shaking.

This sensation was unfamiliar, she had never been this nervous. "Unstopper it for me, Harry, my hands are shaking." Harry wrenched the stopper out and Hermione carefully poured three drops of potion into the gap in Ron's skin. The missing skin stretched over the wound. Hermione looked at the large wound and shook her head. "That's all I feel safe doing," she said. "There are spells that would put him completely right, but I daren't try in case I do them wrong and cause more damage…He's lost so much blood already." She wanted to explain further, but felt an inability to talk about it at the moment without crying.

"How did he get hurt? I mean - " Harry shook his head. " - why are we here? I thought we were going back to Grimmauld Place?"

Hermione took a deep breath and blew it out. "Harry, I don't think we're going to be able to go back there." She began to explain to Harry her stupidity of bringing Yaxley to Grimmauld Place. Every now and again, she would look down at Ron, to make sure he was still breathing.

Then, she heard the most relieving sound in the world: Ron's groan. "How d'you feel?" she whispered, hoping desperately that she hadn't buggered him up.

"Lousy." He touched his arm and winced.

"Don't." She found she was truly inaudible.

"Where are we?" Ron asked.

"In the woods where they held the Quidditch World Cup," she said. "I wanted somewhere enclosed, undercover, and this was -"

"- the first place you thought of." Harry finished for her. She immediately thought of Tottenham Court Road. _Had the Death Eaters found out with Legilimency? Could they find us now?_

"D'you reckon we should move on?" Ron asked Harry.

"I dunno," Harry said.

She looked at Ron's weakened state. Moving him now wouldn't be healthy.

"Let's stay here for now," Harry finally said.

Relieved, Hermione jumped onto her feet to set up the tent with protections. As she did so, conversing with them, she thought about how easily Ron could have died if she hadn't sprang into action. What if she hadn't had the Dittany? She shuddered to think what might have happened if she hadn't been prepared.

When she and Harry carried Ron into the tent and laid him on the bottom of the bunk bed, he had turned impossibly whiter. This alarmed her, and she said, "I'll make some tea." Anything to get some color into his face.

After the drink had gone into his mouth, some of the gray left, leaving little by little and revealing pink.

"What d'you reckon happened to the Cattermoles?" he asked when his color was somewhat regained.

"With any luck, they'll have got away," said Hermione, clutching her hot mug tightly, trying to take its warmth and insert it in her chest, which felt hollow from the ghost of fear. "As long as Mr. Cattermole had his wits about him, he'll have transported Mrs. Cattermole by Side-Along-Apparition and they'll be fleeing the country right now with their children. That's what Harry told her to do."

Ron closed his eyes and leaned back onto his pillows. "Blimey, I hope they escaped." He shook his head. "I didn't get the feeling Reg Cattermole was all that quick-witted, though, the way everyone was talking to me when I was him. God, I hope they made it… If they both end up in Azkaban because of us…"

Ron's fretting over the Cattermoles touched her heart. She wanted to hold him tightly and tell him that they would be fine, kiss him and tell him she loved him, but she knew she couldn't. So she watched him silently, wishing to do all the things that she couldn't. _He's so wonderful. He may not be as eloquent as some, but when he says something, he means it. I just - _

"So, have you got it?"

Hermione jumped at Harry's sudden question. "Got - got what?"

"What did we just go through all that for? The locket! Where's the locket?"

"_You got it?_" shouted Ron, raising himself a little higher on his pillows. "No one tells me anything! Blimey, you could have mentioned it!"

"Well, we were running for our lives from the Death Eaters, weren't we?" said Hermione, pulling the locket out of her pocket. "Here."

Ron looked at it for a moment, then asked hopefully, "There isn't any chance someone's destroyed it since Kreacher had it? I mean, are we sure it's still a Horcrux?"

"I think so," said Hermione, taking it back from him and looking at it closely. "There'd be some sign of damage if it had been magically destroyed."

She passed it to Harry, who turned it over in his fingers. "I reckon Kreacher's right," said Harry. "We're going to have to work out how to open this thing before we can destroy it."

All of them tried their best to open it. Hermione tried every spell in her arsenal that might conceivably open it.

"Can you feel it, though?" Ron asked in a hushed voice, as he held it tight in his clenched fist.

"What d'you mean?" Ron passed the Horcrux to Harry.

Hermione nodded, having felt the little heartbeat herself, and asked. "What are we going to do with it?"

"Keep it safe till we work out how to destroy it." Harry replied and he put it beneath his robes. "I think we should take it in turns to keep watch outside the tent," he added to Hermione, standing up and stretching. "And we'll need to think about some food as well. You stay there," he added sharply, as Ron attempted to sit up and turned a nasty shade of green.

With the Sneakoscope Hermione had given Harry for his birthday set carefully upon the table in the tent, Harry and Hermione spent the rest of the day sharing the role of lookout.

--

It was late. Harry was taking up watch, and Hermione sat in the tent, helping Ron out of the makeshift sling she had made from his shirt. He had improved in the last few hours. Now, he was sitting up. He winced as she pulled his arm the wrong way. "Sorry," she said, quietly. She sighed. "I wish you hadn't got splinched."

"You and me both."

"It's my fault. I should've made sure I got rid of Yaxley before we Apparated." She finished his arm and sat down next to him on his bunk.

"Hermione," he said, shaking his head. "It's not your fault. You already carry enough of the weight of the world. Don't try to take the rest. Besides, I'm just glad you were here to heal me."

"You and me both." He laughed and took her hand. Quietly, she continued, "I thought you'd left me already."

"Hey. We three don't give up _that_ easy, do we?"

"That's true. I wish I'd done more research, though, so you wouldn't have to wear the sling."

"Once again, you can only do so much." He paused. "Thanks for taking care of me."

She smiled. "It was no problem at all. Except for the fear I'd bugger you up. That wasn't so good."

"If it had been me healing you, you wouldn't have an arm at all."

Hermione laughed. It was amazing to her that he could hurt so badly and still make her laugh. She sobered slightly. "You have to be careful. I can't keep fixing you."

"Yeah, well. I'll try my best. If it makes you feel better, if it happens to you, I'll take care of you. I promise."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah. That makes me feel so much better."

"Good," he said, his mouth turning down slightly. "But seriously, I couldn't lose you either. You have to be careful, too. I'd have to fix you."

She looked at him seriously. "Who could need a broken Hermione?"

Ron took her hand. "The whole world. Without you, what could Harry and I do?"

Quietly, she countered, "Without you, how would we possibly stay sane?" She gave his hand a slight pressure. He squeezed back.

Briefly, he looked down at their joined hands. Then he looked up. "I need you, Hermione."

"As I need you," she said, leaning her head down onto his uninjured shoulder.

They were silent for a few moments, soaking up the closeness they could have while Harry was on guard.

Hermione heard it first: quiet whimpers outside the tent. Her head left his shoulder and she looked at Ron, who then nodded. She supposed it was to indicate that he heard it also. She kissed him on the cheek, and rushed outside to attend to Harry, wondering if she and Ron would be that close again.


	4. Promises are Broken

Promises are Broken

Hermione sat in the tent, watching Ron and Harry face off and thought of how the locket had changed Ron. He complained about everything when he wore it. The food was bad, he was trying to sleep, they weren't getting anywhere. Comfort, which he had been rife with before, was never in his words. Never would his touch, on the rare occasions when he did touch her, make her feel more assured.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn't had a really close, comforting moment with him since the night they had gotten the locket. He'd been cold and distant with her, never acknowledging that he'd ever comforted her or made his promise. The promise was technically intact, but she never felt that Ron was truly there when he wore that dreaded piece of jewelry.

His expression was glazed over and cold, and when he looked at her, she never felt the warmth and joy in his gaze. He had, though it wasn't intentional, left her in a way. But she knew he was alive and by her side, and that was just as important.

But as her love fought with her brother, occasionally bringing her into it, she wondered if there could possibly be an end to their friendship here, in this tent with that damned gold locket.

Then he might as well as given her an ultimatum. "Are you staying, or what?"

The question caused her more grief than she could ever describe. Conflict raged inside her like the storm outside. She loved Ron more than anything. She would give the world for him. But the world needed her to help Harry for the it to ever survive. So, for a brief moment, though it pained her to do it, she put away what her heart screamed wildly and said, "I...yes - yes, I'm staying. Ron, we said we'd go with Harry, we said we'd help - "

"I get it. You choose him." The look in his eyes was something she hadn't expected: hurt and defeat.

"Ron, no - please - come back, come back!" She tried to run to him to reassure him that she was choosing to help save the world for them to be together in. She wanted _him_. But she was impeded by the Shield Charm she had used to stop Harry and Ron from hurting each other. By the time she had removed it, Ron had disappeared into the storm.

Hermione ran out into the torrent, trying to catch Ron. She was sobbing freely, thinking only of catching Ron in his hurry to leave the tent. Her legs carried her swiftly to his stomping form.

"RON!" Hermione screamed over the storm. "COME BACK! DON'T LEAVE ME! YOU PROMISED ME, RON, YOU PROMISED!"

Ron turned around and looked at Hermione, and then shook his head as if he were imagining her.

"I'M HERE, RON! COME BACK TO ME! DON'T LEAVE ME! YOU PROMISED! _I love you._"

He disappeared with a crack that she could barely hear over the dense rain and she fell to her knees, sobbing on the ground and screaming his name into the wind which immediately carried it away.

The rain used to make her happy, rain used to make her want to run around in happiness and shout to the world, getting soaked by the downfall. Now, she felt the rain a curse, hexing her with every drop that fell. Her sopping clothes clung to her tightly, which used to make her feel natural and free, but now it was a testimony to that condemnation and made her feel suffocated. Everything was all wrong. Tears fell fast and hot, burning her face with each that slid down her face. Emptiness reigned and allowed her to stand and travel back to the tent. But the second she opened the flap to the tent, and the lingering smell of Ron hit her like an exploding grenade, the tears that had been flowing smoothly became hard and fast again.

"He's g-g-gone! Disapparated!" she sobbed, wishing for the numbness to return, allowing her to let go of the pain of his broken promise and the loss of his safe presence. The sobs were unceasing and she soon fell asleep of the tiredness of her weeping.

Her heart was rent almost in two. Ron's close proximity being the only thin thread holding it together.


	5. Promises are Mourned

Promises are Mourned

A/N: Fifth in the "Promises" Series. Works well with the song "Happy Ending" by Mika. Hermione's POV.

Switching watch shifts at night was always a bad time for her. She and Harry would interact slightly, maybe even make a joke or two, then Hermione would be back in solitude. He had the four to eight shift; switching from that one was the absolute worst. She would slip in and out of fitful sleeps, dreaming of Ron leaving, mostly. Then she would lay in the dark, and look up into the canvas of the tent, and think that Ron should be across the small room in his bunk. Sometimes, much to her horror, she'd forget he wasn't there and catch herself turning to where he should be: by her side. This always made it worse.

Tonight wasn't any different. It was dark and cold, and she shivered quietly. If Harry had asked her why she did so, she would have attributed it to the winter. But she knew it was because her Ron wasn't there. To keep her in the warmth of his protection. It was silly, she knew; she wasn't a lost lamb, she could take care of herself. But without him, she felt utterly vulnerable. His presence made her feel there was something she could count on in the world.

But, then again, tonight _was_ different. Tonight was worse. One of _those_ nights. Sleep wouldn't come, not even the bouts of short naps she had grown accustomed to. She wanted Ron tonight. Just to say, "Hey, you alright?" Even though he knew she wasn't.

She sighed, and reached under her bed to get The Beetle and the Bard. _Might as well do something useful._ She one of the stories again. Her heart wasn't in it. She could only think of Ron. What if he had gotten Splinched again? Would he be able to take care of himself? _Oh, God, I hope he's safe._ She prayed that he was living and not lying in some forsaken ditch somewhere. Then she shook her head. These thoughts weren't helping her. They weren't accomplishing what had relinquished Ron to do.

She went back to the book: '_Then Babbitty Rabbitty came back to those she loved, enjoying the fruits of her labor._' Would Ron ever come back to her? She hoped against hope that he would return to her. Or at least that he was alive. But she knew that there was no way she could make a difference in that. There was nothing Hermione could do to keep Ron alive here. Her hope was gone with his departure.

Occasionally, she desired to check Harry's Marauder's Map for him, though she knew she wouldn't find his name on it. She wondered where he could have gone. Gone. Ron was gone. He had left the mission. He had left Harry. And he had completely abandoned her. Why? What could have possibly possessed him to desert her? Hadn't he promised her that he wouldn't leave her? Hadn't he vowed to take care of her unconditionally?

Hadn't she made it perfectly clear to him that she couldn't do without him? She thought she had given every sign that she needed him. And she thought he had been giving her the same signs. He had held her when she made her parents forget, when she thought she had lost him, when she knew she couldn't, and promised to do so in the future when she hurt. But if it were Harry comforting, would he have done the same thing? Was it only significant to her because Ron was who she loved? And she realized how foolish and naïve she had been. How stupid was she to believe that he loved her? How could she have even considered that he might love her like she loved him? It was idiotic.

Hermione tried clearing her thoughts again, reading her book again. 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune' was something that quite intrigued her. The plot was centered around a young wizard, Spencer, who comes across a fabled fountain. He takes advantage of the fountain's power and abandons all but one - a young Muggle girl, Christine - which eventually leads to his downfall. It was classic in fable form, but something about the boy was different. Similar to someone, something she knew. Every time she examined it, she felt like she was missing something. There was something nostalgic about it, though she couldn't put her finger on what it was. Now, it eluded her in her Ron-centric mindset. '_And then Spencer wished he had forgone Christine, who was all too human._'

When she had first read that sentence, she thought it meant that she wasn't supernatural enough. That she couldn't help him because she was a Muggle. But now Hermione realized his mistake lay in that she was human. The girl he had befriended was too flawed to be close. The two things are very alike, and yet, are completely different. Hermione thought it was because she wasn't magical; now, she knew it was because the girl made mistakes, and hurt Spencer in the end.

She wished that she and Ron had never gotten close enough to both reverse and cause a rift in her heart. She wished she hadn't allowed him to destroy her resolve to help the world. She wished she hadn't allowed him to rule her thoughts. But most of all, she wished she hadn't allowed him to make a promise to be with her forever. Something he couldn't possibly keep. He was bound to make a mistake, and hurt her. And from that point on, she made up her mind to not let him defeat her. There was no glory in consenting to defeat. And no hope of love or glory with Ronald Weasley.

He was all too human.

And she loved him all too much.


	6. Promises are Dreamed Of

Promises are Dreamed Of

A/N: Sixth in the "Promises Series. This was actually one of the first installments I pre-wrote and wrote, so it turns out it's the only one so far from Ron's POV, and I was too lazy to fix it. It goes better this way anyway.

_Hermione ran out into the rain, trying to catch Ron. She was sobbing freely, thinking only of catching Ron in his hurry to leave the tent. Her legs carried her swiftly to his stomping form._

"_RON!" Hermione screamed over the storm. "COME BACK! DON'T LEAVE ME! YOU PROMISED ME, RON, YOU PROMISED!"_

_Ron turned around and looked at Hermione, and then shook his head as if he were imagining things._

"_I'M HERE, RON! COME BACK TO ME! DON'T LEAVE ME! YOU PROMISED! I love you."_

_He disappeared with a crack that she could barely hear over the dense rain and she fell to her knees, sobbing on the ground._

_Then there were the Snatchers. Ron cursed one in front of him and someone grabbed him from behind._

"_You hiding, ginger? Where are you going?"_

"_Nowhere," Ron said, struggling against his attacker._

"_I find that hard to believe," another answered. "Maybe the Cruciatus Curse will make you talk."_

_From out of nowhere, another shot the curse. "_Crucio!_"_

_Ron writhed in agony, but even after the initial pain had passed, said nothing._

"_Fine. I see how it has to be."_

_Ron looked into the speaker's eyes and saw the intent before the spell was even cast._

"Avada Kedavra!_"_

_And Ron fell for the last time._

Ron woke in his bunk much to his irritation - he was dreaming about something pleasant for once, Hermione forgiving and kissing him - and was about to turn over and go back to sleep, when he heard a thrashing from across the room. _Hermione._ She moaning something that he couldn't make out, but she sounded upset, like she was in pain. He jumped from his bed and rushed over to her, and as he reached her bedside, he heard her murmur, "Don't leave me! You promised!"

Ron had a good idea what she was dreaming of, and feeling pain, shook her gently. "Hermione, wake up. Wake up, love."

She didn't wake but continued to thrash around. Her words were slurred, but definitely discernable. "No. Not Ron, not Ron! Don't kill him."

Ron shook her harder. "Hermione!"

Her eyes suddenly shot open. She saw him and touched his face tenderly, making sure he was actually there. Then she broke down, wrapping her arms around Ron and crying into his neck. He held her tightly, stroking her hair, and saying, "I'm here. I'm here."

"Oh, Ron," she sobbed. "It was awful. You left and the Snatchers, they killed you. You shouldn't have left. You wouldn't have - " She broke down again, holding him to her.

She then began to calm. After a moment to gather himself, he spoke again. "Oh, love. I'm so sorry I ever left. I should have never – "

"Thought?" She said, quietly, clearing her throat. "That I would truly choose Harry over you? I thought I made that fairly clear at Grimmauld Place." She shook herself away from him and began to work herself into a rage.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry. I know I'm an arse and – "

"It's not just that, Ron. It's that you said you would never leave me. You said you would be here to take care of me regardless of Harry and his decisions! I trusted you, and you let me down! You took the promise you gave from me and stomped off with it into the storm! YOU TOOK MY HOPE AND DESTROYED IT!"

Ron put a hand over her mouth, and she immediately began to struggle against him, reaching up to grab his hand. He cast a silencing charm on Harry's bunk, and removed his hand.

"Continue if you will."

His willingness surprised her, but she went on. "You don't understand the pain you caused. I cried for _a month_ after you left. Every prayer I prayed was that you would come back to us, to me. I wished desperately that you would come looking for us. I wanted so much to know that you were okay, that I was to the point of finding you myself.

"I needed you. I told you that, and made myself vulnerable to you, and you just threw me away. Like I was nothing. I would've given everything for you, my life, without a doubt, but you couldn't stay close. You could care less about my safety. You couldn't even muster up the charity to keep your promise."

Another wave of anger came over her. "And you're such an idiot! Anyone could have gotten you. Did you even have a plan as to where you were going? No, of course not. Once again, it was Ron, expecting to do whatever he felt like and letting Hermione fix it. Except Hermione wasn't there, Ron. Did you even think of that? I wasn't going to be able to fix you when you left." She said the words with stinging reproach, using his own words against him.

"I gave my whole heart to you without a second thought. I knew in my gut that you would take care of me. You would stay. And the one thing I thought I was sure about, the one constant thing in this whole mess, was you. I thought I could count on you, that you would always be there, and you betrayed me."

She paused and looked at him with anger and hurt and something else he couldn't identify. After a moment, she looked away, and tears trailed down her face, one bleeding into the next. "I missed you. I needed you. There, I'm done. I have nothing left to say."

He looked at her silently weeping form, and one tear slipped down his cheek. He looked down into his lap, and asked, "Are you ever going to trust me again?"

She thought for a brief moment. "Don't ask me to trust you blindly, I'll trust you with my eyes wide open."

He nodded once and pulled away from her to go back to his bed. "I can promise you this time that I will never leave you."

"Oh, yeah?" she said disbelievingly. He knew she wouldn't believe him.

"It was the locket. It did horrible things with my thoughts. But enough excuses. I hurt you, and I deserve all the anger. But Hermione, it's gone, and you can be sure that I will never leave you again. I'll take care of you. You can trust me." He climbed into his bunk quietly.

"Prove it," she said, not without a little contempt. And in the dark each looked at the other, silently challenging each other.


	7. Promises are Mended

Promises are Mended

The constant stream of questions was painful. But, to Hermione, it was nothing compared to hearing Ron's anguished cries from the cellar. It was faint, but unmistakable to her. Ron was hollering her name. She doubted anyone else heard it. After all, it was her Ron. And, at the moment she heard it, she knew that he cared. The thought took only a split second, but its effect was lasting. _Why would he bellow like that if he didn't care? He must._

But reality blares when you have an evil witch pointing her wand at you. His calls kept her from spilling anything. She knew that if she did, that voice would be silenced. For eternity. That was it. So, she stood strong. Attention was drawn away from causing her distress every now and again, and it helped.

Then came the Cruciatus Curse. Every nerve in her body felt like it had been punctured by nails. Simultaneously. But, though it nearly maimed her to do it, she continued to fight back. Then, a crack was heard in the cellar.

_Oh God. Please._

Wormtail was sent downstairs to check out the noise. She barely had time to think that maybe Ron had gotten out, when Bellatrix pulled her close and whispered menacingly in Hermione's ear.

"If you don't answer my questions, your trouble-making, blood traitor boyfriend won't live to see tomorrow."

Hermione stopped the gasp at the last moment. She got as tall as she could in the position Bellatrix was keeping her in and said, "I won't say a single word. You won't get a damn thing from me."

"You little…" Bellatrix spat. Then she smiled. "_Crucio!_"

The second so close to the first was too much for her strength to handle. She crumpled to the hardwood floor.

As she lay there in her darkness, she heard Bellatrix say, "And now, we call the Dark Lord! And I think, we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her."

And everything went black.

She was standing in the Forest of Dean. Softly, rain began to fall on her. A drop here. A drop there. Ron's warm hand in hers was a reassurance that this time, rain wouldn't mark his departure. He turned to her and said, "Don't leave me, Hermione."

She slowly came into consciousness, beginning to open her eyes. There was the low light of very early morning. The first thing she saw was Ron. He was wiping her wounds with a wash cloth in one hand and holding her hand in the other.

_Wait. Wounds? Where did I get wounds?_

He was crying softly, the tears silently flowing down his face. Then he looked up and saw her stirring.

"Hermione," he croaked. "Oh, thank God. You're alive."

"No," she said, quietly, crying with relief at his face. "Thank God _you're_ alive."

He wiped his wet face with the back of his hand. "I'm so glad to hear your voice."

She smiled. "You too." She squeezed his hand. He went back to cleaning her up. She saw he had already taken care of her legs. "Where are we?"

"Shell Cottage. Bill and Fleur's house.

"What happened?"

Ron frowned slightly, touching her neck softly. The touch made her start. There must have been a large wound there. He seemed to concentrate on it for a moment. "The filthy bitch held a knife to your throat," he finally said, through gritted teeth. "And then a chandelier fell on you. The glass cut you everywhere when I pulled you out. We don't know any healing spells, and I used what was left of the Dittany on your neck, so you're gonna have to deal with the marks for a while."

"It's fine. A few scratches aren't going to bother me."

Ron looked at her sadly, and then down at their joined hands. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" she said, watching him curiously.

"I broke my promise again. I promised to take care of you, and I just left you in danger."

She shook her head. "Ron - "

But he continued, nonetheless. "But Hermione, I swear, I did all I could. I tried everything I could think of. I wanted to break down the walls. I tried to bust out of there, but all I did was nothing. Because you still got hurt. And I broke my promise. I'm sorry."

"Ron - "

"I don't deserve your trust again. I can't do anything to protect you. I just - "

"Ron!" she said, summoning all her strength into the single word. He finally looked up, his eyes finally meeting hers. "You screamed my name. You gave me hope and courage to keep quiet. You pulled me out of the wreckage. You wiped my wounds and held my hand, sending the bad dreams away. You took all the care in the world."

"But it isn't enough!" he said vehemently, piercing her with his protective gaze. "I should have saved you. I should've died before I let you get hurt! You're the only that matters to me, and I promised you! And I broke my promise to you. Again."

_The only thing that matters…_"I don't want to talk about the things we've gone through. You've taken care of me. And I thank you for it." Her little argument and speech had drained her, and tiredness came over her. Ron noticed her eyes drooping, and smiled sweetly at her. "Go to sleep. I should probably check downstairs anyway. I'll send Fleur up to check you out."

She closed her eyes. "But I don't need Fleur. I don't want _Fleur_."

Ron grinned. "Yes, you need to be checked over. I insisted on cleaning you up, but Fleur has more training than I do."

She was extremely touched by this, and didn't have the strength to argue about Fleur being sent up. Hermione nodded, and felt Ron's hand lift hers and pressed his lips to it. "I'll see you in a bit."

She nodded again, and his weight left the bed. The absence of his hand chilled her for a moment, and she shivered. He tucked her into the covers of the bed tightly. Then, he leaned over her and kissed her forehead gently.

She heard his footsteps toward the door. Then, she thought of it. "Ron?" she said, as she was swiftly carried off to dreamland.

"Yes?"

"You've gained all my trust again."


End file.
